1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to devices for moving around a water craft and, more particularly, to a seat or chair movably mounted to the rear of a sailboat to allow an operator having a physical disability to move easily from port to starboard and back again to port while in full control of the sailboat. Specifically, the present invention relates to a chair for a sailboat that is suspended by the rail system on the back of a sailboat with the suspension arrangement allowing the chair to move back and forth between the port and starboard sides of the sailboat.
2. Background Information
Sailing is a recreational activity enjoyed by many throughout the world. As is well known to those who sail throughout the world, a sailboat tilts or xe2x80x9cheelsxe2x80x9d to the leeward direction. The operator of the boat typically desires to be on the windward or high side of the boat in order to best control the boat and have the clearest field of vision while controlling the boat.
Unfortunately, it is somewhat difficult for people to move about in sailboats. There are typically numerous sheets, lines, and other obstacles over and through which the person must maneuver. While it is difficult for a fully capable person to quickly move back and forth while maintaining full control of the sailboat, the task is especially difficult for an operator with a physical disability.
It is thus desired in the art to provide a seat for a sailboat that allows an operator with a physical disability to quickly and easily move from the port to the starboard side and from the Starboard to the port side of the boat. It is also desired to position the chair in locations where the operator may maintain complete control over the boat throughout the entire range of motion of the chair.
Other movable chairs for boats have been developed and are known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,218 discloses a mobile chair for use by handicapped persons for a boat. This chair includes a seat and a footrest that are slidable along guide rails mounted to the deck of the boat. The chair is also rotatable about a trunnion through at least 180xc2x0. Although this seat is useful for allowing a person to move back and forth in a boat, the chair requires significant modification to the deck of the boat and would likely lead to tangles with the equipment in the boat.
Another device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,324. This device is an automatically-leveling chair that is mounted on a U-shaped frame. The chair is supported on a plurality of rollers on the U-shaped frame so that the chair remains level with respect to the horizon while the boat heals one way or the other. Although this chair is mobile, it does not allow the operator to move from the starboard side of the boat to the port side of the boat.
One further device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,837. This device is to be used on a catamaran having a trampoline-style deck. The device disclosed in this patent allows the operator to slide back and forth from one side of the boat to the other but still requires significant effort by the operator.
In view of the foregoing, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a movable chair for a boat.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair for a sailboat that allows the user of the chair to move from the starboard side to the port side and from the port side to the starboard side of the sailboat while maintaining full control of the sailboat.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair for a boat that is suspended above the deck of the boat so as to not interfere with the boat""s equipment during use.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair that may be used by an operator with a physical disability.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair for a sailboat that is mounted to the stern rails of the sailboat.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair that may be used with a wide variety of boats.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair for a boat that includes a brake system that holds the position of the chair when the user wants the chair to stay in position.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair for a boat that is stable while the boat moves through waves and heels at different angles.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a movable chair for a boat that allows the user of the chair to move longitudinally along either the port or starboard side of the boat in order to select the most advantageous location to operate the boat at the given conditions.
These and other objectives and advantages of the invention are achieved by the combination of a chair assembly and a boat wherein the boat includes a hull having an upper surface. The boat further includes a first rail disposed above the hull. The chair assembly includes a seat adapted to hold the user of the chair assembly. The chair assembly is at least partially carried by the rail with the seat suspended above the hull.